Introducing: Cane Hill
Taking their name from a now-demolished Croydon asylum, Cane Hill are heavy in both sound and lyrics. "We've been reading online about how [Cane Hill Hospital is] becoming residential property now and it's honestly a bummer because we'll never get the chance to see it," says vocalist Elijah Witt. "We honestly were just looking for a name that resonated with us and our sound and we came across it." That may sound dark, but for a band that infuses a nu-metal anger with important societal issues on their self-titled debut EP (released last October through Rise Records), it's quite fitting.
The New Orleans five-piece had to work hard for themselves in an area where rock and metal is hard to come by, and are now preparing to release their debut album Smile this summer. Though admitting a thriving music scene would have made the job easier, Witt says, "Nowadays there are so many avenues for getting your music to reach where you want it to go. So while it was difficult getting shows that would draw well to try and build a local audience, we were still able to get people to hear it and get into it."
Good thing they did, as with Witt addressing problems in society in an honest and heartfelt way over the top of hard-hitting metal, Cane Hill are a band to watch. Witt says that addressing these issues is "absolutely vital to the band but I wouldn't say it defines us." He makes clear that despite this side of the band, they aren't a political group: "We don't have a specific agenda because it shouldn't have to be like that when what we're furious about shouldn't be a norm in the first place."
"It's been an incredibly humbling experience seeing all of the attention and love we've been getting for [the EP]" says Witt, and you can't blame the band's fans. The debut EP is an abrasive and hard-hitting blend of aggressive riffs and powerful lyrics. One of the EP's singles, 'Time Bomb', features ex-Issues keyboardist Ty 'Scout' Acord, who adds electronic sampling into the track's grinding metal riffs. The band have also toured with the likes of Hollywood Undead, Blessthefall and Northlane. It's clear this is unexpected, with Witt describing the success as "a mesmerizing experience".
"The arts in general have this universal way of influencing generational issues, especially in metal." says Witt. He's not wrong. He backs up his point with two great examples from metal's past, Black Sabbath with songs like 'War Pigs' and the uncompromising vigour of the antagonistic 80s thrash movement. "It's always been about fighting the bullshit and not being afraid to be violent. Music is a radical tool." he adds. This violence is reflected in the music, the ferocious riffs and heavy lyrics hit home, and sum up Witt's points about metal perfectly. "Angry words, angry music" is how he puts it.
Cane Hill's debut album Smile is due July 15th via Rise Records
